The Galveston Historical Foundation decided to renovate and rent the Samuel May Williams House.

GALVESTON — For rent: An island house built in 1839 by the co-founder of Galveston and financier of the Texas Revolution and revamped by some of the top designers and craftsmen in East Texas.

In return for paying $1,800 monthly rent, the tenant will be expected to become a curator for the Samuel May Williams House. If the candidate passes a tough interview, he will move into the second oldest house in Galveston, a recorded Texas landmark that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The lease is an innovative way to maintain a piece of history that otherwise was in danger of falling into disrepair because fewer tourists are willing to pay for a ticket to tour the house.

Meeting the cost of maintaining historic buildings is a national problem, and organizations throughout the country will be watching the Galveston experiment to see if it provides a solution, said Donna Harris, head of Heritage Consulting in Philadelphia and author of New Solutions for House Museums, Ensuring the Preservation of American Historic Homes.

"I've heard about (the Williams house) and I think it would be a very clever idea," Harris said.

Although historic buildings have been leased in other states, none has combined it with a redesigned interior, she said. "I'm not aware of any other group that has done that," Harris said. "That's why I think it's a really important model."

Tourists not enough

The $3 tickets purchased by a dwindling number of visitors weren't paying for the house's upkeep, so the Galveston Historical Foundation came up with the idea to renovate and rent, foundation executive director W. Dwayne Jones said.

Visitors declined to about 1,000 last year from a high of 25,000 a year when the Williams House was opened as a museum in the 1980s, foundation spokeswoman Molly Dannenmaier said.

Businesses and craftsmen donated time and materials that Schwenk estimates at $100,000. "We wanted an updated look in a historical house," Schwenk said.

In the left parlor, the original chair used by Samuel May Williams sits next to a modern couch. The theater where visitors once watched a film has been replaced by a modern kitchen. The no-frills bathroom for tourists has been done over with antique fixtures.

Jones said the lease agreement for the house will be similar to standard contracts, but applicants will have to prove that they will take care of it. "Our concept is a resident curator," he said.

The new renter also may have to agree to open the house or its grounds for certain occasions, but Jones said the foundation is willing to negotiate the condition. The foundation also understands that having a tenant means wear and tear.

"It's going to be a home, and things are going to happen, and we understand that," he said.